The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on neurospine surgery practice in the referral center hospital developing country

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a once in a century challenge to human health care with over 4.5 million cases and over 300,000 deaths thus far. Surgical practice has been significantly impacted with all specialties writing guidelines for how to manage during this crisis. This study reported the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neurosurgical practice, especially neurospine, in the outpatient visit, emergency department, and the surgical procedure. METHODS: This study is the comparative retrospective about neurospine practice in the outpatient visit, emergency department, and the surgical procedure among before and during COVID-19 pandemic. We recorded data from January to December 2019 (before COVID-19 pandemic) and compared with the same period in the 2020 (during a COVID-19 pandemic). RESULTS: A total of the outpatient visits, the average number per month was 28 ± 10.5 visits per month before the pandemic. The average number outpatient visit per month during the pandemic was 19 ± 11.1 visits per month, with the lowest in July 2020. The result of the average monthly neurospine surgical procedure before the pandemic was 5 ± 1.9 operations per month. Compared during the pandemic, there was decreased in the neurospine surgical procedure with the average number was 2 ± 2.7 operations per month. The decreased number significantly happens in the surgical procedure and emergency department patient (P < 0.05), while in the outpatient visit, the decreased statistically not significantly (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic changed all scopes of medical practice and training. Considering the limitation in the available resources, the number of educational cases may decrease in subspecialized disciplines such as neurospine neurosurgery. The COVID-19 pandemic affects in the neurospine and neurosurgery treatment policy in the referral tertiary hospital.